Diffuser



June 4, 1963 J. GOETTL 3,092,009

DIFFUSER Filed March 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 3 INVENTOR JOHN GOETTL PATENT AGENT June 4, 1963 J. GOETTL 3,092,009

DIFFUSER Filed March 10, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR JOHN GOETTL PATENT AGENT 3,092,009 DIFFUSER Jenn Goettl, Phoenix, Ariz assignor to McGrawEdison Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 10, 1960, Ser. No. 14,149 6 Claims. (Cl. 9840) This invention relates to a louver plate and more particularly to a louver plate which serves as an outlet for evaporative coolers, air conditioners, heaters, or other similar equipment.

Louver plates are generally used in various locations as Wall or ceiling outlets and it has been a problem to provide a suitable ceiling outlet louver plate for evaporative coolers or air conditioners in house trailers.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a louver plate for installation in the ceiling of a house trailer or other room space for conducting air from an air conditioner or evaporative cooler into the room space.

Another object of the invention is to provide a louver plate which is particularly adapted to be installed in the ceiling of a house trailer room for conducting conditioned air thereinto.

Another object of the invention is to provide a louver plate having novel construction which provides maximum air flow capacity therethrough.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel louver plate which permits a great variety of directional adjustment of air passing from the louver plate into a room at a ceiling location.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel louver plate which is generally rectangular in form and is provided with four substantially identical parts which form an inverted substantially frusto-pyramidal structure wherein louver plates are pivoted intermediate the four side members at the bottom of the louver plate and wherein louvers are also provided in the inclined individual side members of the plate to provide side outlets angularly disposed to the horizontal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a louver plate having novel means for connecting four identical louver plate frame members at the corners of a rectangular structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel louver plate having laminated material forming hinges for the louvers relative to the frame thereof; wherein the louvers and frame are generally made of material such as metal while a layer of softer material on each metal member bears against a similar soft layer of material forming a resilient frictional hearing which tends to hold each louver in angularly adjusted position relative to the frame element of the louver plate.

Further objects and advantages of the invention may be apparent from the following specification, appended claims, and accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a louver plate in accordance with the present invention.

' FIG. 2 is a bottom view thereof.

- FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 3-3 of FIG. 2.

' FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 4-i of FIG. 2.

- v FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken I from the line 5-5 of FIG. 4, and

' FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken from the line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

The louver plate 10 of the invention as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawings, is disposed to be secured to a ceiling 1-2 of a building room, house trailer, or other room structure. This louver plate is generally of an inverted frustopyramidal shape having a rectangular outline and is com posed of four substantially identical and/or congruent sesame Patented June 4, 1963 isosceles trapezoidal frame sections and five groups of pivoted louvers.

Referring to FIG. 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that there are four frame sections 14 which are substantially identical in shape and configuration. These frame sections or members are provided with mitered corners 16 which are secured together by clip members 18 to interconnect the frame members 14 at the four corners of the louver plate. The clip 13 is provided with folded hook portions 20 at its opposite edges which are directed toward each other and fitted over folded hook portions 22 folded back from the mitered portions 16. The hook portions 22 of adjacent frame members extend away from each other, as shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings. The clips 18 are identical parts and are finally stamped into place by a suitable die thereby making a very tight connection of the frame members 14 at their mitered portions 16.

As shown in FIG. 2, it will be seen that one of the frame members 14- at its opening 21 has been illustrated omitting the louvers 23 in order to show the connection of across member 24 with frame members 14 on opposite sides of the louver plate.

The rectangular disposition of the four frame members 14- provides a large rectangular or square opening 26 centrally of the bottom of the louver plate wherein a plurality of louvers 28 are pivotally mounted.

These louvers 23 are shown in detail in FIG. 4 of the drawings and their pivotal mounting with the frame members 14 is shown best in FIG. 5 of the drawings. Each louver 28 is provided with an angular tab 3%} which is disposed adjacent to an angular portion 32 of an adjacent frame member #14. A rivet 34 is disposed through the angular portion 32 and the tab 30- to provide a pivotal bearing for the louver 28 relative to the frame member 14-.

It will be seen that each louver 28 is a laminated structure having a metal layer 36 and a plastic or any other relatively soft material as another layer 38. Likewise, the frame 14 is provided with a metal layer 40 and a relatively softer plastic layer 4-2. These layers 33 and 42 are contiguous with each other and engaged. They provide a resilient bearing structure between the louver plate and the frame member so that there is resilient engagement and sufficient friction to hold the louvers in certain angularly adjusted position relative to the frame member 14 about the pivotal axis of the pin 34.

It will be seen that the louvers 28 are thus connected at their opposite ends to frame members at opposite sides of the louver plate and that all of the frame members are substantially identical structures connected together at the corners at substantially an angle of 45 degrees and that the overall configuration of the louver plate is an inverted substantially frusto pyramidal structure.

The pivotal connection of the louvers 23 relative to the frame members 14 in the openings 21 is similar to that as shown in FIG. 5. Attention is also directed to FIG. 6 of the drawings wherein the louvers 23 are disclosed. These louvers are provided with tabs 44 similar to the tabs 36 shown in FIG. 5 of the drawings and pins 46 extend therethrough and these pins are similar to the pins 34 shown in FIG. 5. These pins 46 also extend through a flange 48 integral with the frame member 14-, all as shown best in FIG. 6 of the drawings. These flanges 48 are at both opposite ends of the openingsZl while the inner edges of the frame 14 are provided with outwardly extending angular portions 50 which are integral with the flanges -32 hereinbefore described.

The cross member 24, hereinbefore mentioned, is secured to opposite side frame members 14 by means of screws 52 which are accessible through the louvers 23 when opened. Also mounting screws for securing the louver plate to the ceiling are provided. These mounting screws 54 are accessible through the louvers 23 when in open position.

Mounted on the cross member 24 is n switch 56 having a control shafit 58 to which a control knob 60 is connected. This control knob 60 is disposed at the bottom of the louver plate to provide manual control for an evlaporative cooler or air conditioning unit communicating with the louver plate of the present invention.

Directly below the cross member 24 is a cross member 62 which interconnects the flanges 32 of the frame members 14 at opposite sides of the louver plate. This cross member 62 is substantially the same length as the louvers 28 and is disposed between and parallel with adjacent louvers 28 near the middle of the opening between the frame members 14.

In operation, the louvers 23 may be pivotally opened to a desired degree so that air may enter a room in a lateral direction of arrows A while air may also enter the room from the bottom of the louver plate through the louvers 28 in directions of the arrows: B. All is shown best in FIG. 1 of the drawings. It will be seen that the louvers in FIG. 1 are shown closed, however, they may be pivoted into open positions in accordance with the disclosure of FIG. 6 of the drawings, wherein arrows show the direction of the pivotal movement of the louvers relative to the frames 14.

The frusto-pyramidal shape of the louver plate provides for la maximum capacity while it also permits the delivery of air at considerable velocities and in several directions laterally of the louver plate which is a distinct advantage over fiat louver plates which are coplanar with the ceiling 12.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the louver plate of the present invention is very economical to produce since four identical frame sections are provided and these are all made by the same die. Also, the clips 13 are identical and the louvers 23 are identical to the louvers 28. Thus only three sets of dies are required to produce the main structures of the present louver plate. The cross members 24 and 62, however, must be produced by other equipment.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various modifications of the present invention may be resorted to in a manner limited only by a just interpretation of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A diffuser for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed angularly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally frustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said diifuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening.

2. A diifuser for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed angularly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally frustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said diffuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening; said frame members all substantially identical parts. 1

3.'A difluser for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed angularly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally f-r-ustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said diifuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening; said cframe members all substantially identical parts; both of said first and second louvers substantially identical parts.

4. A diffuser for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed angnlarly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally frustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said difiuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening; said frame members all substantially identical parts; both of said first and second louvers substantially identical parts; adjacent portions of said frame members fixed together.

5. A diffuser [for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed angula-rly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally frustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said ditfuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening; said frame members all substantially identical parts; both of said first and second louvers substantially identical parts; adjacent portions of said frame members at said corners of said diif-user having folded hook portions directed away from each other; and a clip at each of said corners, said clip having a pair of folded hook portions directed toward each other and clipped over said hook portions of adjacent frame members thereby holding them together at the corners of said difl'user.

6. A difiuser for delivering air from a ceiling outlet comprising: four congruent isosceles trapezoidal frame members disposed langularly adjacent to each other and forming an assembly having an inverted generally frustopyramidal shape; each frame member having an opening therein; first louvers pivoted in each of said openings; said diffuser having a square main opening between said frame members; and second louvers pivotally mounted in said main opening; said frame members all substantially identical parts; both of said first and second louvers substantially identical parts; and third louver-s in said square main opening, said first, second and third louvers all substantially identical parts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 518,984 Zimmerman May 1, 1894 661,639 Hart et al. Nov. 13, 1900 688,288 -Boeck Dec. 10, 1901' 1,254,517 Lumm Jan. 22, 1918 1,826,452 Carpenter et a1 Oct. 6, 1931 1,917,043 Lewis July 4, 1933 2,069,728 Sperry Feb. 2, 1937 2,470,488 Honerkamp etal May 17, 1949 2,511,490 Bauer June 13, 1950 2,732,593 Judson Jan. 31, 1956 2,811,094 Auer Oct. 29, 1957 2,850,959 Watkins Sept. 9, 1958 2,901,961 Cotts Sept. 1, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 757,582 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1956'. 799,401 Great Britain Aug. 6, 1958 

5. A DIFFFUSER FOR DELIVERING AIR FROM A CEILING OUTLET COMPRISING: FOUR CONGRUENT ISOSCELES TRAPEZOIDIAL FRAME MEMBERS DISPOSED ANGULARLY ADJACENT TO EACH OTHER AND FORMING AN ASSEMBLY HAVING AN INVERTED GENERALLY FRUSTOPYRAMIDAL SHAPE; EACH FRAME MEMBER HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN; FIRST LOUVERS PIVOTED IN EACH OF SAID OPENINGS; SAID DIFFUSER HAVING A SQUARE MAIN OPENING BETWEEN SAID FRAME MEMBERS; AND SECOND LOUVERS PIVOTALLY MOUNTED IN SAID MAIN OPENING; SAID FRAME MEMBERS ALL SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL PARTS; BOTH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOUVERS SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL PARTS; ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SAID FRAME MEMBERS AT SAID CORNERS OF SAID DIFFUSER HAVING FOLDED HOOK PORTIONS DIRECTED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER; AND A CLIP AT EACH OF SAID CORNERS, SAID CLIP HAVING A PAIR OF FOLDED HOOK PORTIONS DIRECTED TOWARD EACH OTHER AND 